FINE TROTTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 988, 3 June 1930, Page 13

FINE TROTTER

j Standby Joins Donald's Stable MAY VISIT AUCKLAND ; Prior to the opening of the Cant* r- ! bury Park winter meeting. Stand By. ; was a warm fancy for the Yaldhur>t Trot at Addington, and in some quarters he was expected to beat c--solid grey trotter Fifa. Rut Stand By did not fulfil liis engagement and Fifa. had an easy victory. A patron of C. S. Donalds stab'purchased the four-year-old trotte:*. i who was previously trained by A. • Smith at Waimate. Stand By is by ! Nelson Bingen from a Bonhomnio I mare, and a young trotter of great promise. At the recent Forbury Park meeting he won the Tahuna Handicap, one mile and a-half, front a big field, and later at Oamaru from 72 yards behind went a sound race into second j berth. It is possible he will form one of Donald s team for Auckland. SPEEDY MILER MATCHLIGHT CREATES BIG SURPRISE VARYING ESSAYS Australian files just to hand j contain reference to a speedy aactr named Matchlight, which has been unearthed in the Commonwealth. According to a writer in the “News,” the horse’s form was difficult to understand recently. “Matchlight created something of n sensation at Victoria Park yestrrda\ afternoon when he won the Fly in : Milo Handicap in the fast time of ?.14; The back-marker. Brentloc. would havt had to break the track record to have beaten the winner. Matchlight is a roan gelding, which has been much in the public eye in Sydney during the past few month.-. , Ho travelled from Goulburn to Rich-

mond by motor float one night to compete in the last race that fixture and he won after being heavily backed. Real Surprise The backing and the win came as a big surprise to many on the course, as it bad been rumoured early In the day that he was not to run. a.* he had injured his leg severely in the motor float. Later it was said that the leg had been doctored on the course, and that Matchlight would run. The horse has since then competed with mixed fortune in Sydney", but it is his latest two performances which have attracted most attention. H© wa*a poor second at Harold Park last week, and then won with ease at Victoria Park yesterday. At Harold Park on May* 12, Match.light, having incurred a penalty, was 12 yards behind in the second division of the Flying Handicap. for which Marble Ridge started a screaming hot favourite. Matchlight was one of the big outside shots, and he ran second a length behind Marble Ridgo, after having to run wide at parts of the journey. CINDER TRACK ADVOCACY PROPOSAL AT FORBURY PARK SUCCESS AT ADDINGTON There is a movement on foot with the object of converting the Forbury Park track from clay’ to cinders, says an Otago writer. The idea is backed by some of the principal traine-s, who speak from experience, but theorists will fight against the change. It is claimed that a cinder track can provide much better going in bad weather than a clay track, which is apt to become impossible aJter a heavy rainfall- It is said that the day Is not far distant when Addington will tie converted into a cinder track as a result of tho benefits and experience of the cinder training circuit laid down by the club. There was some talk a year or so ago about a similar movement in Auckland with Alexandra Park. It was proposed to lay down portion of the clay track with cinders to give the project a trial, but so far nothing further has been done. However, there is a possibility that more will Lk heard of the schemes when the new season rolls round.